Device for reversing motion of propeller-wheels



No. 6|,I87. Patented Sept. 20, |898.

s. E. TnEGunTHA. DEVICE FOB REVERSINGv MUTION 0F PHDPELLER WHEELS, &c.

(Application ledMar. 19, 1898.)

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No. a||,|a7. Ptentad sept. 2o, |898. I e. E. TnEsunTHA.

DEVICE F03 BEVEBSING MOTION 0F PRUPELLER WHEELS. &c.

(Application med Mar. 19, 1898.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

WVVNEEEEE Y INVENTDR me Nunms mais co.. vamo-ummwnmomm n. c.

Patented Sept. 20, 1898.

G. E. TREGURTH. DEVICE FR REVEBSING MOTION 0F PROPELLER WHEELS, &c.

(Application filed Mar. 19, 1898.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

WITNEEEES NrTED 'STATES PATENT Prion.

GEORGE E. TREGURTHA, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

DEVICE FOR REVERSING IVIOTION OF PROPELLER-WHEELS, 800.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 611,187, dated Septemberv 20, k1898.

Application filed March 19, 1 8 9 8.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. TREGURTHA, of Malden, inthe county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Reversing Motion of Propeller-Wheels, &;c`., of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. I v

This invention relates more particularly to reversing the motion of a propeller-wheel of a boat or vessel independently of and without changing or altering the movement of the engine; and the invention consists in thel combination, with the shaft of an engine of a boat or vessel or of other motive power and the shaft of a propeller-wheel or other shaft, of means for connecting said shafts together for operation in such manner that the motion of the latter shaft can be reversed as desired independently of the movement of the shaft `of the engine or other power and Without changing such movement or to stop the motion of the latter shaft in either direction, all substantially as hereinafter fully described, reference being had to the accompanying sheets of drawings, in which is illustrated the present invention as applied to a steam, gasolene, or other engine shaft and propellerwheel shaft of a boat or vessel, in which- Figure 1 represents a side view. Fig. 2 is a central horizontal section. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views similar to Fig. 3, but showing variations to be hereinafter referred to, the views being of reduced size.

In the drawings, A represents a framework constructed and arranged and secu red in any suitable manner in the bottom of a boat or vessel for the support of the parts for their proper operation.

B is a shaft to which the propeller-wheel is secured, adapted to rotate at one end in a bearing C, secured to 'the frame, and at its other end in 'another bearing secured to a suitable support, (not shown,) the shaft being broken off.

D is a shaft in the same axial line as the shaft B and turning in a bearing E, secured to the framework, its end ct being connected to any suitable motive power, but not shown.

Secured to power-shaft D by bolts b is a clutch-wheel F, having a large central open- Serial No. 674,491. (No model.)

ing G in one side, the internal side 0f such opening being beveled inwardly to form a clutch-surface, as shown at H in Fig. 2 more particularly.

Secured to the power-shaft, also by a splinejoint J, is a spur-gear K, which is disposed within a circular casing L, one side, d, of said casing being adapted to freely rotate on the hub M of the gear K and the other side, e, being adapted to freely rotate on the hub f of an internal gear N, secured by a key g to the propeller-wheel shaft B. The' part e of the casing L, which is disposed over the internal-gear hub f, is secured by screws hto the flange 'm ofthe other portion d of the casing. The central gear K is connected to its shaft by its spline-joint J for it to rotate with the shaft, but also 4for it to be freely moved longitudinally thereon, while the internal gear N is rigidly secured to the propeller-shaft.

P P are two gears, each arranged to revolve on its pivot n in the side d of the casing, the gears being diametrically opposite to each other 'and engaging with the central gear K and the internal gear N, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3 in section. Surrounding the casing is a ring Q, called the clutch-ring, having an internal central part or shoulderr fitting in and between the edge flanges tu of the casing and on and over the transverse flange m of the casing, the ring Q extending over and beyond the edges of the casing, as

shown in Fig. 2 more particularly, and be.

ing secured by a fiat ring R, bearing against one side of the shoulder of the clutch-ring by screws o, screwing through the casing-flan ge, by which the clutch-ring is secured in position on the casing. The outer surface or pe-A riphery of this clutch-ring is beveled or inclined from its central circumferential line W toward each outer side, as shown, one side a of which is frictionally engaged with the in` ternal bevel-surface H of the clutch-wheel, and if the casing and clutch-ring are moved toward the propeller-wheel shaft its bevelsurface o will frictionally engage with a corre sponding internal bevel-surface d of a ring S, rigidly secured to the frame by screws e.

T is a vertical lever having a handle f, pivoted at g to the frame and having africtionroll U, pivoted to its inner side at h', which IOO roll is disposed between two circular flanges V on the propeller-wheel shaft B, so that as the level' is swung to the left, Figs. l and 2, the propeller-wheel shaft will be moved correspondingly to the left, and as the internal gear K is securedto the shaft and is disposed in the casing L it carries the casing and clutch-ring Q and all parts connected to it correspondingly with it, and in such movement the clutch-ring will be moved so as to be disengaged from the clutch-wheel and engage by its bevel edge b with the internal bevelsurface d of the stationary ring S, which will stop the clutch-ring and casing from rotation.

The operation of the device is substantially as follows: Power being applied to the shaft D the clutch-wheel is turned, and as the casing-ring is frictionally engaged by its bevelsurface with the internal bevel-surface of the clutch-wheel, as shown in Fig. 2, the casing is rotated with it, and as the small gears P are connected to the casing by their pinions they will be carried around with it bodily, and in such movement they will not revolve on their axes, but cause the internal gear to rotate with the casing, which being keyed to the propeller-wheel shaft it and the propellerwheel are revolved in the same time and direction, causing the boat to move forward.

To reverse the motion of the boat, move the lever T to the left, Figs. l and 2, which moves the propeller-shaft with it, and as the internal gear is secured to the shaft and is within the casing it and the casing are also moved in the same direction sufficiently for its clutchring to engage with the stationary frictional ring S of the frame, which then holds the casing from movement. The central gear is then carried around with the power-shaft, which revolves the intermediate small gears, which in turn drives the internal gear, but, owing to the intermediate gears, in the opposite direction to the movement of the power-shaft, and as the internal gear is secured to the propellerwheel shaft it is caused also to turn in the opposite direction to the power-shaft, which correspondingly reverses the motion of the boat.

To stop the rotation of the propeller-wheel in either direction, the lever is operated so as to move the clutch-ring to a position between and be disengaged from the stationary frictional ring S and the clutch-wheel; but as in this position the casing will revolve with the power-shaft and carries around with it bodily the small gears they have no edect upon the internal gear to move the propellerwheel shaft, and therefore the boat will be stationary. The clutch-ring is secured to the casing by the fiat ring R to hold the clutch-ring sufficiently firm for all purposes of driving the boat, but it allows sufficient yield for safety in reversing the movement of the propellerwheel shaft when suddenly operated, by which the tendency to injure the gear is avoided.

The relative sizes of the central gear and the internal gear determine the relative speed of the propeller-wheel shaft and the powershaft when reversed, which in this case is about one-third less; but the gearing may be so modified and arranged as to secure any speed of the propeller-wheel shaft relative to the speed of the power-shaft, and in Figs. 4 and 5 are shown arrangements of gears for such change of speed-as, for instance, in Fig. 4, as all the gears are of equal diameter, the resultant movement is equal to the power; but in Fig. 5 is shown an arrangement of bevel-gears by which the resultant movement is about one-quarter of the power, and by such bevel-gearing any variation can be made.

In Fig. 4, A is a miter-gear on shaft B, and B is a miter-gear on power-shaft D, engaging, respectively, with .miter-gears C, pinioned to the casing and clutch-ring, and in Fig. 5, D is a bevel-gear to shaft B, and E' a bevel-gear on power-shaft, which engages,respectively, with bevelgears F', pinioned to the casing and gear-ring. IThese gears in thesetwo views, although lettered differently from the gears in the other igures, are respectively equivalents of the other gears as to action, but not as to the relative speed of the propeller-wheel shaft, and they are so lettered to avoid confusion. Although two pinion-gears are shown, obviously the same results would be produced with only one gear. It is preferable, however, to have two or more gears, as it distributes the strain upon the gears, being less liable to break.

Although this invention is described to operate a propeller-wheel shaft, obviously any shaft can be operated for other purposes by the mechanism, so that the invention is not to be limited to a propeller-wheel shaft.

G is a hole through the casing, having a plug H', through which hole oil can be put into the casing for oiling the gearing, the internal gear N having a hole J for the oil to pass therethrough. The arrows `indicate the direction of motion of the gears. Inclosing the gearing in the casing, as shown, lessens very much the noise of the gearing in operation.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim is l. In combination, a power-shaft carrying a clutch-wheel, a gear on said shaft arranged to slide longitudinally thereon but to revolve therewith, a revolving casing surrounding said gear and adapted to move along the shaft, its periphery forming a clutch-surface adapted to engage with the clutch-wheel, a driven shaft, a gear fast on said driven shaft, one or more intermediate gears pivoted to said casing and engaging with the power-shaft gear and driven-shaft gear, a stationary clutchring with which the clutch-surface of said casing is arranged to engage and mechanism for moving said clutch-surface of said casing backward and forward along the power-shaft.

2. In combination, a power-shaft carrying a clutch-wheel, a gear on said shaft arranged to slide longitudinally thereon but to revolve IOO IIO

IZO

therewith, a revolving casing surrounding for moving said casing clutch-ring backward said gear adapted to move along the shaft, its periphery forming a clutch-surface adapted and forward along the power-shaft.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set to engage With the clutch-wheel, a driven my hand in the presence of two subscribing shaft, an internal gear fast on said driven shaft, one or more intermediate gears pivoted to said casing and engaging with the powershaft and internal gear, a stationary clutchring with which the Clutch-surface of said 1o casing is arranged to engage, and mechanism Witnesses.

GEORGE E. TRE GURTHA.

Witnesses:

EDWIN W. BROWN, JAMES TREGURTHA. 

